Have I recovered from Tennis Elbow?

[Astrovolt]

Hiya

Have a specific question to anyone who has had tennis elbow (not for cases that were only slight or mild) and has successfully recovered and returned to playing.

TE for me began early 2014 and I won’t go into what I have done for it because it will make this post blow out.

I think I am at the end or near the end of recovery and the reason I think this is that the list of things that I made during the past year that would remind me the injury still exists is getting very small.

Some examples - I can extend my arm, extend my wrist up (wrist extension) and no pain is present. Lifting items with palm down doesn’t hurt anymore. Pressing down on the middle finger of the injured arm while I try to push up against that hand doesn’t hurt anymore. They previously did.

Here’s the thing though – each morning I wake up, I rub the spot on the outer elbow which had been sore/sensitive throughout the injury and I can’t find it, it’s basically gone, not there anymore. Each day, sometime later in the day, as I keep testing it, I eventually can find the sore/sensitive spot, it feels like a tiny bruise and it’s the same every day and this has been the case for a while now.

With this small sore spot existing, this tells me the injury is still there to some degree. Or is it? Because I can do a heap of things in the gym, including deadlifts, farmers, chin-ups, bench press, tricep locks, ….. it doesn’t hurt in the gym. When the arm is warmed up it's fine.

I had a quick hit the other day after warming my arm up and stretching and it doesn’t hurt while hitting. It was slightly sore afterwards (I haven’t hit in over a year so my arm may not be used to the ‘impact’ of hitting) so I applied ice a couple of times only on that day in case the impact of the hit caused any immediate inflammation.

Has anyone recovered from TE and had the same experience as I am going through now with that persistent small sore spot which seems to come and go? Does it eventually go away?

I don’t want to go back too soon and plan to ease back into hitting.

 

[NE1for10is?]

What type of string and racquet are you using?

 

[Astrovolt]

What type of string and racquet are you using?

I was using a Wilson that wasn't good for TE, but that's history.
I will now be using Yonex eZone Ai98
String is Technifibre X-One Biphase (non-poly of the year 2014)
Though i will be looking for another string for the mains soon.

 

[shindemac]

I had a bad case of tennis elbow once. It fully recovered after more than a year. I can't say how long exactly, because I took a break from tennis at that time. But when I came back, it was fine. Recovery probably depends on age, fitness, diet, etc. I wouldn't risk damaging my elbow now because the recovery would probably be much longer or maybe never to 100% again.

 

[NE1for10is?]

I was using a Wilson that wasn't good for TE, but that's history.
I will now be using Yonex eZone Ai98
String is Technifibre X-One Biphase (non-poly of the year 2014)
Though i will be looking for another string for the mains soon.

Great string. I've been using it with great success since my bout with Golfer's Elbow. Since then I have tried to find a soft co-poly for the mains, but nothing I like so far. I would wait a long time until you do that though, and introduce it slowly. I also find it beneficial to do the warm up with the full Biphase and then if the arm feels great, maybe go to a hybrid. If I even feel so much as a tweak with the hybrid I will go back to the full Biphase.

 

[tennisdad65]

1) Do a deep cross friction massage of your right elbow, at the tennis elbow spot, using your left thumb.
2) Do a deep cross friction massage of your left elbow, at the tennis elbow spot, using your right thumb.

If your previously injured elbow hurts more than the other elbow during the massage, you have not fully recovered yet.

 

[Astrovolt]

1) Do a deep cross friction massage of your right elbow, at the tennis elbow spot, using your left thumb.
2) Do a deep cross friction massage of your left elbow, at the tennis elbow spot, using your right thumb.

If your previously injured elbow hurts more than the other elbow during the massage, you have not fully recovered yet.

Well, in the mornings i can't find the sore spot when rubbing firmly where it's supposed to be. Later on that day, i can find it. I can also find it a whole lot easier if i have my arm vertical to the ground - elbow bent, and the elbow pointing to the ground and the hand up near my shoulder as much as possible. The other arm doesn't have TE so there is no sore spot. Your theory is very black and white and so it sounds like i am still injured and not ready to ease back in to it.

It's been a year, come a long way, a long list of movements and actions don't hurt anymore, now gym training is fine, it feels 100% every time it's warmed up, but perhaps i better keep holding off...

 

[HouTex]

Astrovolt, I'm in about the same place in my recovery as you seem to be. A few days ago I could not find the spot on my outer elbow that previously was painful.

After a year off I hit on the back board yesterday for about 10 minutes and while it's nowhere near as bad as it was at first, I can now locate the tender spot. TE just takes a long time to heal. It sucks.

 

[Heck]

Got back into tennis after 15 year break and bought a new racket with poly strings and got TE bad. Spent months doing the research and home rehab thing and was still playing with pain. Then I got the Yonex Ai98 because it was said to be arm friendly. Problem is I got it with poly... Played with pain still. I was about to stop playing it was getting so bad.

The tennis director where I played at suggested arm friendly strings. She picked out wilson nxt 17 for me and it was night and day difference.

They wear out fast but I picked up a gamma stringer to keep cost of stringing down and my arm happy. I still get sore and feel it a bit on a miss hit but it was nothing like the pain I would have for days after hitting.

Also turns out without poly I get so much more feel on the ball and control. Now it's a pleasure to hit.

 

[donquijote]

You should have anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation in your body. Also avoid sugar and carbs when you can.

 

[aussie]

If you search this forum you can read about my near 2 year battle to beat TE. Even following TE surgery it took a year to play tennis again. Am I completely pain free now that I am back playing? No, I would estimate my elbow at 80% pain free.

After nearly 2 years away from tennis with my elbow much improved pain wise but still not totally pain free, I reasoned that it may never reach 100% and that I should at least attempt a comeback. I wanted to be sensible about playing again so bought a very flexible racquet (Prince EXO3 Tour 18x20)strung with multi at 46, bought a rebound net and started gentle hitting against it. Discovered that gentle hitting against the net did not aggravate the elbow and progressed to easy hitting with my wife and finally to playing competitive tennis again.

Some slight aggravation sometimes following tennis but icing settles that. I am always conscious not to lift heavy weight with my palm down and whenever I play tennis or do any physical work I wear an forearm/elbow brace for that additional bit of protection. Regular massaging of the extensor muscles and range of movement exercises is all the treatment I give the elbow. I still cannot use the Flexbar without causing pain to the elbow but who cares - I wanted to get back to tennis not use a Flexbar!

So my advice is get the right equipment, try a sensible, low level of controlled hitting and build from there. Wear a good brace, massage and stretch, and you may just be pleasantly surprised with the result. Aussie

 

[HouTex]

Aussie, do you have a 1HBH or 2HBH? I'm still battling TE but it's getting better. I hadn't picked up a racquet for about a year until last weekend. I can hit a FH and serve without pain, but my 1HBH hurts a little and I'm hesitant to hit it hard. When I tried to hit a 2HBH it didn't hurt, but I've never used a 2HBH. I'll need to learn how.

 

[aussie]

Aussie, do you have a 1HBH or 2HBH? I'm still battling TE but it's getting better. I hadn't picked up a racquet for about a year until last weekend. I can hit a FH and serve without pain, but my 1HBH hurts a little and I'm hesitant to hit it hard. When I tried to hit a 2HBH it didn't hurt, but I've never used a 2HBH. I'll need to learn how.

Typing this in between sets on a Thursday night here in Brisbane. Just played a set of doubles and hit 9 or 10 hard 1hbh. No pain at all with the EXO3. Initially tried double handed backhand when i came back but too difficult after lifetime of one handers. Just start slowly, let the elbow get used to the shock and then gradually build from there. I was apprehensive at first but gentle pain free hitting gave me the confidence to increase the pace.

 

[max]

I've got chronic tendonitis and I'm beginning to try to work it out.

I have a one-handed backhand, but it wasn't that that did me in: I was just terribly overstressing it, not resting it at all, doing much more work with it, and throwing in a racquet change as well! Just a perfect storm.

I don't think per se a one handed backhand always causes TE. But a 2 hander likely minimizes the risk.

 

[Ironliver]

I've taken several months off for my TE last year. Came back to playing this year and the pain has incrementally gotten worse and now I'm off playing again. For me, switching to 2HBH helped but not completely eliminated the pain. I think unconsciously squeezing the racquet grip too hard and hitting forehands close to the body aggravates the problem.